COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, December 30, 2005, a 29-year old shuttle car operator, with 4 years mining experience, was fatally injured when he was hit by a ram car. The victim apparently exited the shuttle car and was leaning into the operator's deck, when he was struck.

BEST PRACTICES

Remain in a safe area away from mobile equipment or where equipment operators can readily see you.

Maintain clear visibility with all personnel in your vicinity when operating mobile equipment.

Sound warnings when the operator's visibility is obstructed, such as when making tight turns, reversing direction, or approaching curtains.

Wear reflective clothing to ensure high visibility when necessary to walk or work in the area of moving mobile equipment.

Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future. Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

This is the 22nd fatality reported during calendar year 2005 in the coal mining industry. This is the ninth fatality classified as Powered Haulage in 2005. As of the accident date in 2004, there were 28 fatalities reported in coal mining. There were nine fatalities in this category at this time in 2004. For more information on shuttle car safety, visit http://www.msha.gov/Accident_Prevention/ideas/shuttle.htm.

The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.